Goodwill Gems: The Sunburst Tote

This spring is all about color. Fed up with the greys of winter, our correspondent Lauren set out to mirror the sunshine-and-flower-filled landscape around her with a technicolor trip to her local Goodwill. As usual, the Goodwill hunting paid of in this week’s handsome Gem: the Sunburst Tote.

Rising temperatures and increased sunshine call for accessories that are as bright as your mood, like this vivid yellow-green tote with a comfortable, lived-in feel.

Vivid brights, pretty pastels, bold textures and prints – however you choose to incorporate color into your wardrobe this spring, don’t forget to bring in brilliant accessories, too! Styles this spring are fun, flirty and super colorful, and that sense of playfulness doesn’t have to be limited to just tops, bottoms, or breezy sundresses.

Adding an eye-poppingly brightaccessory – whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a pair of sunglasses or strappy sandals – is another excellent way to inject your spring style with a bit of fun, feisty energy.

This lovely, lemony tote with bold white criss-crossing stripes is just the kind of eye-catching purse you need for spring. Its vibrant color is still not so sharp as another popular trend for this season – neon – so it won’t fight with your wardrobe, but rather complement it. The deep side pockets, unstructured style and long straps give this purse a relaxed feel and make it the perfect bag for casual weekend trips to your farmers’ markets, flea markets or out-of-town escapes.

Be bold this season. When the weather starts to warm even more, you could easily pair this tote with beachy neutrals like whites and taupes and use it as a summer carryall to stash your sunscreen, sunglasses and beach-appropriate reading material.

But to be really on trend for the next few months, try wearing it with another bright, colorful item or two. To keep the outfit from being too busy, it’s best to stick with solid pieces in colors of the same strength or intensity as the bag’s yellow-green. After all, color rules the spring fashion scene, and putting on a vibrant piece of clothing with your colorful accessories is actually a smart to balance your look.

Don’t be afraid to pair brights with brights this season.

Here, I’ve chosen to focus the look around a pair of lively bottoms – a brilliant, cerulean blue pair of skinny, stretchy jeans. But I’ve kept the top simple with an airy, flowing bright white top and clean, classic black blazer.

Have you thrifted a colorful find recently? Come tell us! Write about your fashion fun in the comments here, post a photo of a fav look on our Facebook page or send @GoodwillNyNj a tweet. GoodwillNyNj & I love seeing your style, so keep us posted!